Delta Engine is an open-source multi-platform game development engine. It is written in C++, the engine is available to users under the license of LGPL (Lesser General Public License). Community-supported, Delta3D is widely prevalent among developers around the globe. The engine is used for multipurpose including training, education, visualization, and of course entertainment.
Delta Engine is one of a kind as it offers features dealing with Modeling, Simulation and DoD communities, e.g. HLA (High-Level Architecture), large scale terrain support etc. A “Physics Abstraction Layer” (PAL), is used to provide a standard API to various physics libraries in the engine for special effects and particle system capabilities.
It is supported by multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS, Linux and VR (Virtual Reality). It can be used with Visual Studio to develop .NET based solutions. Furthermore, the Delta Engine can be easily transformed between Java C++, C#, Objective-C and JavaScript. This makes it ultimately a cross platform Game Engine.
Delta Engine Features
1) The editor of the engine allows the manipulation of Particles, Entity, Material and Font and provides the Project Creator, the Sample Browser and the AppBuilder.
2) The AppBuilder is the unique tool in the editor, which allows the developer to build, deploy and launch an app on any platform device.
3) Almost everything in the engine is based on entities having a variable number of behaviours, which makes it the most critical feature.
4) Via the editor Continuous Updater Module, you can not only write code but can also see what changes happen at the same time.
5) Delta3D supports 3D Model Importing and Particle Effect Editor, making it compatible for 3D games.
6) Support for all frameworks for each platform and language such as C#, C++, JavaScript, DirectX, OpenGL, etc.
7) Content created by an editor like images, sounds, music and 3D models is saved directly.
8) Delta engine provides exceptional support for physics simulation, as the code can be converted into 2D and 3D simulations regardless of the physics framework used.
9) External libraries and frameworks are easily integrated with the Delta Engine such as Spine library to use the 2D sprite animation library.
Games Written in Delta Engine
Some of the significant games developed under the name of this engine are Heroes of SoulCraft and Soul Craft. Heroes of SoulCraft is the arcade MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game in which two groups battle against one another in quick-paced, strategic matches loaded with action and fun. SoulCraft is a 3D action RPG (Role-playing Game) which lets you take over one of the seven angels in the game to defend the earth from mobs of hell. With over six million users SoulCraft is one of the best Action RPG games on multiple platforms.
Source Code
The Native C++ Version of the Delta Engine is accessible from their Git archive. Visit First Steps Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to compile the Delta Engine source code and getting sample game up & running.
Useful Resources
- Delta Engine Homepage: https://deltaengine.net/home
- Source Code: https://github.com/DeltaEngine
- Documentation: http://help.deltaengine.net/
- Support Forums: http://forum.deltaengine.net/
Here's our list of top five game programming books you should read.
Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1
The book Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1 is just a masterpiece from Fabien Sanglard as it describes not only the details of how the code works, but also some interesting history and trivia. The description of hardware capabilities, audio/video interfaces, and design decisions behind them is quite interesting.
If you're not a programmer the book is still interesting - it explains lots of neat tricks, plenty of photos, quotes, and backstory about how the game was developed.
Game Programming Patterns
With over 85% 5-start reviews on Amazon, readers agree that Robert Nystrom's Game Programming Patterns is a must have for any software developer. It has a crystal clear look at how to be the benevolent architect of a very complicated software/game without getting lost.
The author presents the architecture of a game in an easy to understand matter not from an academic perspective but from experience. The book contains code examples written in C++, well organised and written so cleanly that it feels like pseudo-code.
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming
With Beginning C++ Through Game Programming, Michael Dawson builds your knowledge from the ground up. This book not only is easy to understand and teaches well, but it is focused on the very subject to learn C++ for game programming.
When it comes to game programming, C++ is the name of the game.
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made
This is highly recommend book for anyone who likes history of videos games, or just likes good stories. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made captures the complexity of game development that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
If you have even a passing interest in gaming be sure to pick this one up. (reader's comment)
Foundations of Game Engine Development - Volumes 1, 2
The volume 1 of the book discusses the mathematics needed by engineers who work on games or other virtual simulations. The volume 2 explores the vast subject of real-time rendering in modern game engines.
The book is packed with great C++ code snippets and examples. You have tried-and-true methods that can be incorporated into any game engine and source code is not specific to any API or framework.
